The invention relates to improvements in vehicles for traveling through the atmosphere, and more particularly to a powered elongate flexible airship pressure inflated by hot air and capable of controlled flight for distances over the ground.
Airships of this type have been referred to as dirigibles and originally referred to as blimps when the airship is nonrigid. The present invention in particular relates to a hot air inflated airship of the nonrigid pressure type. The main envelope or pressure hull is formed of a fabric such as a laminated plastic and nylon, or of suitable other material which is lightweight, extremely strong and resistant to gas diffusion. The envelope of the airship is horizontally elongate and is primarily symmetrical with load lines distributed over the body of the envelope for carrying a payload therebelow. The load lines are also particularly arranged to support hot gas pressure inflation means which preferably will be in the form of one or more propane fueled burners with a fan inflation means. The fan or blower which pressurizes the airship is driven by a suitable motor which may be propane or gasoline fueled.
The plastic fabric envelope when not in use can be folded and shipped or stored in the space which takes up less than 1% of its inflated volume. The envelope can be relatively rapidly inflated by the operation of the fan and the free lift is controllable by control of the burner which controls the temperature of the air within the envelope. The direction of flight is controlled by tail fins at the aft end of the balloon envelope. These tail surfaces preferably include a rigid or stable portion which stabilizes the airship in horizontal flight, and a manipulable portion which changes the direction of flight. Vertically extending control surfaces are pivoted to the left or right to change the direction of flight, and horizontally extending surfaces move up or down to cause the airship to ascend or descend. Primarily, the temperature of the hot air within the airship is controlled to provide sufficient lift for the weight of the envelope and the payload being carried so that essentially free lift is present while the airship is in flight, and it ascends or descends in accordance with the change in angle of the control tail surfaces. The tail surfaces primarily are arranged in a cruciform or X-shape so that there are two horizontal extending surfaces and two vertical extending surfaces, but they may be also arranged in other forms such as the inverted Y-shape.
A problem of handling an airship of this type occurs in tethering the airship between flights and efficient effective use will permit completely deflating the airship at the end of the flight inasmuch as it can be rapidly and quickly reinflated and prepared for the next flight by the hot air generation means. The completely flexible envelope, therefore, can be collapsed and effectively stored in a relatively small space, and can be brought into a hanger or laid on the ground at a location where winds do not tug at it, and it can be kept at rest without having to be tethered or controlled. To attain these advantages and overcome the disadvantages of structures heretofore available, is contemplated by this invention to provide a means of quickly deflating the thermal airship. The deflation means must be provided without any possibility of deflation during flight and without adversely affecting the aerodynamic shape of the envelope. In accordance with the principles of the present invention, means is provided so that a top cap is mated to the airship envelope which can be rapidly removed, but which will be safely held in place during flight without bulging and without being forced away from the balloon.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a hot air pressurized powered airship with improved means of quickly deflating the airship on the ground at the end of flight.
A further object of the invention is to provide a closure deflation cap for a hot air pressurized elongate airship envelope wherein the cap does not bulge and retains the shape of the envelope without adversely affecting its aerodynamic profile.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a means where an elongate powered airship can be quickly deflated from the control area at the gondola at the end of the flight and wherein the deflation means provides a large opening in the wall of the envelope which opening can be safely and surely closed with a minimum of effort for the next flight.
Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become more apparent, as will equivalent structures which are intended to be covered herein, with the teaching of the principles of the invention in connection with the disclosure of the preferred embodiments thereof in the specification, claims and drawings in which: